RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 181, 17 December 1997

NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS SIGN ACCESSION PROTOCOLS.
NATO foreign ministers met in  Brussels on 16 December to sign
accession protocols with the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.
Before the signing ceremony, Czech Foreign Minister Jiri Sedivy said
the event was not only a crucial moment in his nation's modern
history but also proof of NATO's readiness for the tasks of the 21st
century. Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs told his NATO
colleagues that Hungary considers the enlargement a historic step
that will expand the zone of stability of the entire Euro-Atlantic
region. Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek said NATO's
expansion is a unique event in the history of mankind and a source
of joy, pride, and hope for Poles. He said Poland hoped to help build
an undivided, free Europe. MS

BLAIR TO LAUNCH EU EXPANSION PROCESS IN MARCH. In a
16 December letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn, British
Premier Tony Blair said that the United Kingdom, in its capacity as
chair of the EU beginning January, will launch the expansion process
on 30 March by hosting a conference attended by officials from
applicant countries, "Nepszabadsag" reported. He said official talks
will open with Hungary after the conference and expressed the hope
that he can meet with Horn in January. In other news, the London-
based Economist Intelligence Unit has said Hungary heads the list of
the seven most developed East-Central European countries. MSZ

ROMANIAN SENATE APPROVES AMENDED EDUCATION LAW
REGULATIONS...  By a vote of 82 to 49, the Senate on 16 December
approved the "Pruteanu version" of government regulations
amending the education law. That version makes the teaching of
history and geography in the Romanian language compulsory in all
schools, permits teaching of Romanian from special manuals for
minorities in grades one to four only, and forbids separate
universities in the languages of ethnic minorities. Bela Marko, the
chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania,
expressed the hope that the Chamber of Deputies will approve a
different version. He also repeated the appeal that the National
Peasant Party Christian Democratic replace George Pruteanu as
chairman of the Senate's Education Commission, RFE/RL's Bucharest
bureau reported. MS

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